About ETAN

"I think you'll agree with me
that the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) not only
proved that independence for East Timor was possible but
helped make it happen. ETAN harnessed the power of
ordinary people in the United States -- people like you
and me -- to redirect the policy of the most powerful
government in the world. I can't think of a better
recent example of grassroots action changing U.S.
foreign policy." -- Howard Zinn, Author, A People's History of the United States

"In the United States, the East Timor Action Network was formed...
Grassroots efforts resulted in thousands of letters and phone calls to
Congress. Military assistance to Indonesia was cut back over its abuses in
East Timor against the wishes of successive Republican and Democratic
administrations."
-- Amy Goodman,
The Exception to the Rulers

The East Timor and IndonesiaAction Network (ETAN) was founded in
November 1991 to support genuine self-determination and human rights
for the people of East Timor in accordance with the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the 1960 United Nations General
Assembly Resolution on Decolonization, and Security Council and
General Assembly resolutions on East Timor.
Our primary focus has been to change
US foreign policy and raise
public awareness to support justice and
self-determination and now genuine independence for East Timor
and human rights in Indonesia. In February 2001, ETAN revised
its mission statement to reflect East Timor's coming independence.

"To the
international solidarity we extend a profound word of
thanks from our people. We continue to count on you to
receive other forms of support, geared towards
alleviating the hardships of our most needy populations
and to the strengthening of the ties of friendship among
people."-- President Xanana Gusmao's
inaugural speech, May 20, 2002

ETAN has an impressive record of successful advocacy for the people of Timor-Leste and
Indonesia. The depth of ETAN’s experience has provided the
organization with the grassroots base, skills, contacts and passion
necessary to carry this important mission forward. The emergence of
Timor-Leste as a new nation offers a unique opportunity for the U.S.
and the world community to live up to their oft-proclaimed ideals of
human rights and democracy. However, this promise cannot be met
without the active solidarity of people in the United States.

ETAN remains
unique in the U.S. in its emphasis
on support for Timor-Leste and few groups
engage in grassroots education and advocacy on Indonesia. In
addition, ETAN plays an essential role by amplifying the voices of
East Timorese and Indonesian civil society activists in the U.S.
Through its own efforts and in coalition, ETAN provides a
much-needed counterbalance to the Bush administration’s
military-based foreign policy, in particular its aggressive lobbying
for unrestricted assistance to Indonesia’s security forces in the
name of the “war on terror.”

ETAN was
founded following the November 12 Santa Cruz massacre of more than
270 peaceful protestors in a cemetery in Dili, Timor-Leste. The few
western reporters present exposed the brutality of the occupying
Indonesian military. ETAN was founded to support Timor-Leste’s right
to self-determination and to end U.S. military and political support
for the illegal occupation.

Help ETAN
celebrate our 20th Anniversary. Donate today!

With your help, we can put ETAN on a firmer footing for the
future.
Please give generously in this anniversary year. In doing so,
you can help strengthen
ETAN to meet
the challenges of the coming years.

In its first
year, ETAN succeeded in passing congressional legislation limiting
U.S. military assistance for Indonesia. Over the
following years, ETAN has
conducted more than 15 national speaking tours with Indonesian and
East Timorese activists, built a nationwide grassroots network of
chapters and individual supporters and helped significantly change
U.S. foreign policy.In 1999, ETAN played
a key role in organizing the largest international observer
delegation to Timor-Leste for their historic independence
referendum.

ETAN’s goalsare to ensure the world’s most powerful
country respects the human rights of the East Timorese and
Indonesians, and to educate, organize and activate people across the
U.S. ETAN’s combination of grassroots organizing and political
advocacy work has proven to be extremely effective -- the
combination of public education, organizing, protest, and grassroots
advocacy helped change U.S. policy from one of unquestioning
political and military support for the illegal Indonesian military
occupation of Timor-Leste to support of the new country.

Mission Statement:
(revised May 2005) The East Timor and Indonesia
Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) is a U.S.-based grassroots
organization working in solidarity with the peoples of East Timor,
West Papua
and Indonesia. ETAN educates, organizes, and advocates for human
rights, women's rights, societal and economic justice, democracy and
genuine self-determination in East Timor.
ETAN works for justice for historic and ongoing crimes against
humanity, war crimes, and human rights violations in East Timor,
West Papua and
Indonesia.